Suspect set to be sentenced in 2021 double-murder case

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - A suspect in a 2021 double-murder case is set to be sentenced Thursday in Forrest County Circuit Court.

According to 12th Circuit Court District Attorney Lin Carter, 19-year-old Frederick Allen of Hattiesburg is set to be sentenced on two counts of second-degree murder.

Carter said Allen could face a minimum 20 years to a maximum 40 years, day for day, on each count, which will be up to the court to decide.

According to court documents filed on July 27, Allen pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. A pre-sentence investigation was ordered by the court to be made before the sentencing.

Allen was arrested in 2022 in connection to the Dec. 16, 2021, shooting deaths of Joseph Lee Thames Jr., 46, and Nakieta Lashawn McCarty, 29.

The victims were father and daughter, according to the Forrest County Coroner’s Office.

The shooting took place around 5 a.m. near Sixth Street and Rawls Avenue, according to HPD. The two victims were found in the roadway and already were dead when officers arrived on the scene.

This story will be updated when more information is provided.

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